Capture Card - file Sizes and how to reduce?

[schmidtrg]

I have a Hauppage Capture card in my system that allows me to capture from my cable system. The card wil capture according to the menu, from mpg1-vcd, to mpeg2-12mb. If I capture say a half hour show, in mpg1-vcd mode, the file size is about 300 Meg. There are times when I would like to send parts or clips from whatever I record to someone via email. My question is, I have seen clips or parts of programs that have been either sent to, me or I have seen on sites such as utube similar clips that I know are much smaller in size?. I am wondering how I can reduce these captured files so that they are more manageable in being able to post or send in something like an email, or a utube. The capture card comes with an editor that allows me to 'cut' the part of the video out of a captured sequence, but even something like a 10 min clip is 80 meg in mpg1 mode, which is far too large to be sent as an attachment, or other forum.

So, any ideas how I get these files to a manageble size - I'm not concerned that they have to be perfect quality video or anything, just to be able to have something to use in the fashions I mentioned

[olyteddy]

Freeware way: VirtualDub with the MPEG input plugin, edit the clip you want, shrink and or crop it and save as Xvid. Be warned, you'll probably need to read a guide or two for VDub.